


Mini-Bang

by rexlover180



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Fluffy, Happy, Other, Vacation, let Juno Steel be happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 06:39:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17844332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rexlover180/pseuds/rexlover180
Summary: Here’s my piece for the Penumbra Mini Bang. I’m not sure if it really has a title or not, just know that I wrote over 5,000 words about Juno and Peter going on a vacation through the solar system and having a good time for once in their lives.





	Mini-Bang

If it wasn’t already dark enough, Peter felt like it was necessary to cover Juno’s eyes with his hands. Like that would ruin the surprise or something. No surprise, they were on an asteroid at the very edge of the solar system, mostly untouched by the wars because it had nothing worthwhile to plunder except about a few square miles of land no one was interested in colonizing. Not to mention the fact that Juno only had one eye. Peter said it was for the aesthetic, and it wasn’t as ‘romantic’ if he was just covering one eye socket. So, really, he was covering an eye and an eyepatch. 

In simple terms, it was a tourist trap. A place people flooded with money because it promised a unique experience “unlike anything else in the galaxy.” Like this was the only place you could look at some stars. Juno had seen stars. He’d seen plenty of stars. You go far enough outside the dome and that’s all you see in the sky. Inky black sky and stars. Little white splotches all over the sky. Other suns just floating out there, mocking about how you were stuck right next to your star and couldn’t go anywhere else.

Juno shivered.

That was another thing about this stupid asteroid. It was cold. Of course it was cold. They were the furthest from the sun that humans had managed so far. Sure, they were in a  _ building _ with a  _ fake atmosphere _ and  _ heating _ , but electricity could only do so much when it was thousands of degrees below zero right outside. Peter had told him to bundle up, so Juno threw on his slightly thicker turtleneck with his trench coat. Needless to say, it wasn’t quite enough.

It was a wonder Peter’s thin, little fingers hadn’t fallen off by now. He’d gone gloveless, saying that he preferred how dexterous his hands are without thick fabric covering them, and he was keeping them tight around Juno’s eye as he led him through the building and towards their destination. They were close to each other, sharing body heat and fighting against the freezing cold surrounding them, but it never felt like enough. Juno would be more than happy to leave this little “pit stop” behind them.

“Just a little farther, dear.”

One thing that Juno didn’t mind, however, was the feeling of Peter’s breath right on the back of his neck as he whispered how close they were to their destination. He wasn’t ready for it the first time, when Peter leaned in close and his breath puffed on his neck. He…might have yelped. But that’s not important. He was prepared now, so all Peter got in return was a little shiver, which he probably still enjoyed. The jerk.

“I thought this place was supposed to be small,” Juno mumbled under his breath, nearly tripping over another crack, if it weren’t for Peter’s sturdy hands on his face. 

“Please, Juno,” Peter said, in that stupidly suave way of his that made Juno fall head over heels every time, “this is the first day of what I believe to be your first vacation ever. Allow me to treat you to something truly special.”

“It’s just a bunch of stars,” Juno said, but he still allowed himself to be led, regardless. “I’ve seen stars before, Nureyev.”

Peter tsked at him. “None of that now. For the duration of our time together, we are Regal and Briar Starr.”

“How long did it take you to cook up those names?” Juno asked.

“Nowhere near as long as it took to make up the paperwork, I assure you,” Peter said.

“Are we supposed to be married again?” Juno asked.

“Unless you would prefer to be siblings, but then all of our alone time together would warrant a few questions, and I prefer to keep a low profile.”

“Says the guy wearing an entirely blue suit. Would it kill you to actually blend in?”

“Oh, Briar, you should see me when I’m trying to stand out.”

“I have.” And Juno thought about that moment at least once every hour. He decided not to dwell on the image of Peter, shockingly beautiful under direct light, and a stand-out in the way that absolutely no one Juno had ever seen, including Rex Glass and Duke Rose, and even Peter himself, could light a candle to. That was Mr. King (no first name, those are for peasants) and Juno only had the joy of seeing him once. Peter absolutely loved the act of dressing up that much. And the dressing down…happened to be a lot of fun for the both of them.

“Okay, then, dear,” Peter purred into his ear and Juno nearly growled at him to cut it out, but they finally stopped walking. “I’m going to remove my hands now, are you ready?”

“You kidding?” Juno asked. “I’ve been waiting to walk on my own since we got to this stupid asteroid.”

“There’s that wit that I fell in love with,” Peter said.

Juno was about to respond, but then Peter’s hands were gone, and in their place…

In their place was something incredible. Juno had no idea there was so much color among the stars. He was used to seeing just those white dots in the black sky, maybe something fancier if he was lucky, but this? This was outstanding. There were…colors out here. Purples, blues, oranges, reds…every time Juno looked somewhere else, he saw something where his eye was already leaving. He knew about light pollution, sure, but being this far away from a star? He didn’t think it’d give him this kind of effect.

“Worth the wait, dear?” Peter asked.

It almost hurt Juno to look away from the stars, but he managed to work his way over to Peter. There he stood, under the low red light of the viewing platform. Red supposedly let you keep your night vision, or something. Despite the view right outside of the massive window before them, Peter was staring right at Juno. Staring like he saw something beyond the bruised and broken lady standing in front of him. Staring like there was nothing in this universe, not even a view that barely anyone got all the way out here to see, he wanted to see more than Juno.

They met eyes, and Juno saw the entire damn universe reflected in Peter’s deep eyes, staring right back at him with all those colors and all that space…God, there was so much out there, wasn’t there? So much beyond their stupid solar system war, beyond the crime of Hyperion City, beyond Juno’s tiny little fucked up life. And it was right there. In Peter’s eyes, dancing as Peter took in all the little details he could of Juno.

He hadn’t even glanced in the direction of the glass.

Juno couldn’t help it. He lurched forward, pulling hard on Peter’s jacket to yank him down to Juno’s level. And he kissed him like they were the last two people in the galaxy. Like making the trip all the way out to this tourist trap of an asteroid meant they were leaving everything behind. Like they were about to explore all those colors out there; the blue, the red, the purple. Hell, even the black. Like they weren’t even in the artificial gravity anymore, and they were just floating out there in the stars. Like Peter was the only thing keeping him alive out there, among the stars. And it really felt like it was.

Peter smirked into the kiss, but cupped the back of Juno’s head to pull him closer. Closer. Juno forgot all about the cold around them, completely surrounded by the heat of Peter’s body as he clutched to him. He let himself get lost to the feeling of silk lips brushing against his chapped mess. Of the soft tongue mingling with his own, and the taste of Peter, and the smell of Peter, and the feeling of Peter.

And then there was a cold gap between them and Juno couldn’t help but shiver, opening his eyes.

“Dear,” Peter said, caressing Juno’s cheek with his hand, “I think if we’re going to keep kissing like that, we need to get somewhere more private.” He was out of breath, his hair a tangled mess, thrown every which way. Apparently, Juno’s hands had gotten away from him. His eyes were wide, staring right at Juno while the universe stared back at him.

“You don’t wanna…look at the view some more?” Juno asked, just glancing at the huge expanse around them, and only a thick layer of glass stood between them and that freedom. It was no wonder Peter got off on all his exploring. A freedom that looked like that would make a lady do anything just to taste it.

“As far as I’m concerned, the best view is right here.” Peter placed a hand under Juno’s chin, and Juno couldn’t help but shudder. It felt like a waste to get all the way here just to stare at the stars for a few minutes, so he tore his eyes back to the stars, still holding Peter close. Peter chuckled, holding him tighter. “Not just a bunch of stars, now are they,  _ Briar _ ?”

“Shut up, before you ruin the moment,” Juno muttered, looking out at the stars. Maybe if he stared for long enough, they would be permanently etched into his memory, and he could think of the stars every time his mind got away from him. Maybe they would help him feel better.

* * *

"You have to admit, it’s one hell of a view.”

“Yeah, I-I guess it is.”

“You seem distracted.”

“I don’t know. Maybe it has something to do with the  _ gigantic rings _ right outside the window.”

Peter just looked at him, chin resting on his fist, with that ridiculous smile of his. Juno couldn’t help but look at the window. They were…huge, to say the least. The rings of Saturn, seen up close, from practically on the planet. Some wise guy got the great idea in his head that people wanted to sit on some floating rock as close to Saturn’s “surface” as possible to eat at some overpriced restaurant and stare at the rings.

Juno wanted to write it off as the kind of shit rich people do just because they can. The kind of thing that people have on a bucket list just because everyone says to put it on the bucket list. But actually sitting there, waiting for their food, with nothing else to stare at but the damn rings…they were admittedly pretty fantastic. They took up half the sky, tilted just to the right and the brightest white he’d ever seen. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect out of them, but he underestimated them. He knew from all the school books that the rings were separated, but looking at them in person…damn, there were miles between some of them. They captivated him, and he couldn’t explain it. He just wanted to stare at them all the time.

“I assure you, I was very much the same my first time seeing them,” Peter said easily, and Juno slid his eye back to his…”husband”. Who seemed to know all the best things in the universe and had seen them all a million times before. And he still looked at Juno Steel, of all people, like he was worth looking at. Like he was worth looking at more than the wonders of the entire galaxy.

Juno looked around at the stuffy restaurant around them. It was the kind of place that made a gal like Juno feel out of place. Like a city erected under a bubble on the most useless planet. It was full of high-brow types, the kind that Juno digs into to find cheating on their spouses with other spouses. All dressed to the nines and talking about money or space ships or whatever rich people liked to talk about. Hell, Juno looked like one of them. The arm candy on a man dressed far more opulently in stolen jewels than the rest of the fools in there. Peter claimed Juno was gorgeous as well, but Juno knew better than that.

Sitting in a place like this, it was stifling. No view outside the window was worth being dressed up like some Earth monkey and parading money neither Juno nor Peter actually had. Peter must have sensed Juno’s discomfort, because there was a hand on his in seconds.

“You do know you deserve good things, right, Juno?” Peter asked.

“Sure, but,” Juno shifted in his seat, not liking how his dress rode up his legs, “I dunno. Nice for me is spending a night in a warm place in the rain or something. Not…Not some shiny place like this.”

“And why not?”

“Come on, you know.” Juno slumped in his seat. Already, he could see three people glaring at him out of the corner of his eye. Peter should never take Juno out to places like this. All Juno would do is embarrass him.

“Do you know why I keep trying to take you to places like this?” Peter asked, sitting all prim and proper like this was where he was meant to be his whole life. Like he was born the same way all the other snobs were.

“Because you like watching me be uncomfortable?” Juno guessed. Probably payback for all the things Juno did to Peter…

“Because I know this is what you deserve,” Peter said. “Sure, you may think the best you deserve is a seedy bar in the middle of Old Town, but I know the truth. That you deserve much more than you will ever give yourself.”

Juno scoffed, looking down at the table. Their food would arrive soon. Shit that would definitely cost more than a year’s rent at his place, all eaten up in less than an hour.

“Also…” Peter drew out a breath and Juno looked up at him. “As someone who’s lied their way into polite society for years, I have to tell you that it is impossibly fun with the right company. And I think you might be the perfect company for venues like this.”

“Yeah? Why?”

“Everyone here is using money they didn’t earn, money I would love to steal from under their noses, but I’m behaving for your sake, dear. And here we are, sitting right in a place we don’t belong. Two little street rats no one wants to look at. But, they have to.”

“Sure, sounds fun and all…” Juno grumbled.

“Also,” Peter said with a smirk, “I happen to know that this restaurant serves the best chocolate cake in the galaxy…and that they are keeping a certain notorious criminal responsible for cross-planet murder that you might be interested in finding and bringing to justice…”

Juno sat upright at that. “Wait, wait, wait. What about the whole ‘forcing me to go on vacation’ bullshit you were pulling when you were getting me off Mars?”

“Well, that was to get you off Mars,” Peter replied. “Besides, we both know you are physically incapable of relaxing. And you wouldn’t enjoy yourself unless you were actually in some danger of getting shot or stabbed. Today, I went with stabbed because it leaves you less vulnerable to actually get hurt.”

“What do you mean ‘today?’” Juno asked, leaning forward.

“Well, you’ll just have to keep touring the galaxy with me to find out.” Peter winked.

* * *

Peter really should have thought more about his ‘destination vacation’. He was so busy taking care of Juno that he forgot to worry about himself. Juno noticed it immediately. They stepped off the shuttle, and right onto a floating city. It was Solar, sure, cities floating around Jupiter and filled with hotels and all kinds of sights to see. But, Peter still had a sour taste in his mouth. Immediately after they saw the floating cities around them, Peter stiffened. He tried to play it off like it was nothing, but Juno had already seen it.

But, Peter would just deny it if Juno tried to bring it up. So, Juno let him lead. Peter was robotic, but polite with the rental car place, but he wasn’t present. He kept glancing out the window and up in the sky, like he was waiting for something to come down. Juno stayed quiet, letting Peter lead like he wanted to. Luckily, Peter got a little distracted by driving them to their hotel. Even though they were only on Jupiter for a day, he got them a luxurious hotel to stay at. Probably to treat Juno.

Once at the hotel, Juno noticed Peter was shaking when he tried to pick up anything heavy, so Juno just accepted the burden of their bags (Peter’s were impossibly heavy because if he could fit a lot in his pockets, he could fit a whole world in a suitcase) and let Peter lead and do the talking. Even as out of it as he was, Peter was better with people than Juno.

Juno held his tongue right up until they got to their room and he closed the door with his foot.

“Alright, sit down,” Juno said. He barely thought about where he put the bags down before immediately going to the windows. It was a hell of a view, with multiple cities in sight, and there was even an option on the window to flick to infra-red, so you could see the nearby auroras. Juno roughly tugged the curtains closed.

“Why, Juno,” Peter teased, but there was still an edge to his voice, “if you wanted a private moment, you could have just told me. I would’ve been better prepared.”

“Sit,” Juno demanded, turning around to face their unnecessarily huge bed. It was gaudy, but he had to admit, when Peter obediently sat down on it, looking up at Juno expectantly…Peter looked like he belonged right there. Surrounded by opulence that matched his ornate look and that damn voice. 

Juno shook his head. Now was not the time to get distracted by that.

“You really need to start thinking things through,” Juno said with a sigh. He stood in front of Peter for a bit, before realizing how awkward it was, and so he took a slouching seat next to his boyfriend.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean,” Peter said. “But this won’t be the first time our minds are going different directions. Would you bother telling me what you’re thinking about, or will I have to wait for the handcuffs again?”

“You really thought going on vacation to a world filled with floating cities was the best idea?” Juno asked bluntly. Peter coughed, obviously surprised, but kept his usual poise.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Peter said, resolute to the end.

Juno carefully put his hand onto Peter’s. He always thought it was strange how smooth Peter’s fingers were, and how he could possibly stand touching Juno’s horribly calloused and scarred hands. Peter’s hands were still shaking, and he was still looking at the window. In fact, he hadn’t made eye contact yet.

“We aren’t there right now,” Juno said evenly. He wasn’t exactly great at working people through this kind of thing, but he could certainly try. “There’s no weapon in the sky, nothing’s going to fall down.”

Peter was silent for a second. “Mm? What did you say, dear?” Peter asked, feigning lack of attention when Juno could practically see his hair standing on end.

“I said you’re an idiot,” Juno said bluntly. Finally, Peter turned to look at him with a little bit of shock before he let out a little giggle.

“I think I deserve that,” Peter said with a soft, little smile.

“No shit, you do,” Juno said. He leaned closer to Peter, slowly, waiting for Peter to push him away, but he didn’t. Juno’s hands left Peter’s and went to wrap around his back. Peter actually flinched. “You’re a real idiot, bringing us to a place like this.”

“I might have forgotten,” Peter said. “Last I was here, it was a long time ago, and I think my brain chose to forget all about it.” There was a short pause between them as Juno tucked his head into Peter’s chest. “This is what I get for falling in love with a detective. Nothing gets past you.”

“Yeah, I’m awful like that,” Juno admitted. “You can talk to me. Or, I mean, if you don’t want to, we can just be here for a while. Either way, I won’t let anything happen.”

“That’s a lot on your shoulders,” Peter said, and pulling Juno even closer. “You do know we’re here for you to relax, right?”

“Who said staying in for a day while in an obnoxiously expensive hotel with my thief isn’t relaxing?”

“Well...” Peter pulled back. “I wouldn’t quite say I’m  _ your _ thief, dear.”

“Oh, my bad. The thief that came around once and keeps deciding to come back just because he likes my ugly mug too much to leave it alone for more than a week.”

“A bit better. We’ll work on it.” Peter pulled him closer to place a soft, quick kiss onto Juno’s forehead. “I brought you here to look at the auroras. They’re quite legendary, you know.”

“I’d rather spend time with you,” Juno admitted. “And that’s not the same as standing next to you while you’re stuck in the past, alright?”

“I’m supposed to take care of you.”

“Then let me take care of you,” Juno pressed. He took advantage of their close proximity to pull Peter into a kiss. It was soft, almost like their first, and there was nowhere else to go from there. A kiss meant to pull and pull and pull, until you forgot what you were being pulled away from. Peter moaned and smiled into it, allowing Juno to take the lead and pull him further onto the bed. Juno let himself breathe in Peter’s smell, still as intoxicating as ever, as he kept them close.

They glided over the soft, plush blankets and Juno didn’t want to pull back to breathe, but he had to. Peter let out a chuckle as they both puffed air in each other’s faces, before Juno moved back in, keeping Peter as close as possible. Eventually, they found the pillows and Juno guided them both onto the impossibly soft cloth.

“Juno,” Peter said, pulling back just a little bit. He was still a sight, covered in their shared drool and mixed makeups. “You don’t have to take care of me. This is for you.”

“Just…shut up,” Juno said, pulling him close again.

And so, Peter did. He was very pliant, if not anxious for most of the day. Juno disregarded all reservations they had, refusing to be even a foot away from Peter for any segment of time, and refusing to open the blinds and leave the hotel. The goal was to pretend they weren’t floating among cities, pretending that the Guardian Angel System never existed and would never exist again, and just remember each other.

Admittedly, it might have been Juno’s favorite day of the whole vacation.

* * *

Juno couldn’t bite back the moan that slipped past his guard, and he could only roll his eye as he heard the chuckle over his head as Peter pushed the heel of his hand even harder into Juno’s upper back. Juno wanted to ask where Peter learned how to massage like that, but honestly Peter wasn’t giving him the chance. Juno knew his back was tense, but it was worse than he imagined, since Peter was still going after a solid hour of working on him.

They were in the best spa Venus had to offer. It was the place only rich people who didn’t need to be there could afford to go to. Places like this spent more money trying to cool down their facilities than asteroids spent on heating. Right outside the thick walls was an atmosphere ready to kill you if you so much as took a breath. Still, Venus boasted about using real minerals in all their baths, cold and hot, and all the luxuries the galaxy had to offer. Apparently, Peter frequented places like this, considering the running tab he had going and familiar smiles of the various workers.

And, apparently, Peter’s experience with massages. He was…damn, he was really good at it. Smooth, long, tough fingers seemed to be magnetized right to the knotted parts of Juno’s back, and pressed with just the right pressure to wind him down…and make him moan. Juno would have been embarrassed, if there weren’t moans coming from other people around the spa. At least they had a room to themselves and Juno was pretty sure no one could hear him through the walls.

Then again, Juno was the only one getting massaged by Peter Nureyev.

“Please don’t tell me you used to work here,” Juno grumbled, face-down into a pillow. Peter managed to not only hear him, but understand him.

“Oh, no, not here,” Peter said calmly, his hands gliding down Juno’s back. He managed to make it smooth, despite all the bumps and scars and bruises. “I worked on another spa, in the outer rim. And I was taught by the very best.”

He pressed hard on Juno’s shoulder for a while, Juno biting back a groan, before he released the pressure and Juno let out a long sigh.

“Yeah, I can see that,” Juno said gruffly. “You planning on giving up anytime soon so I can reciprocate?”

“In due time, dear, in due time,” Peter said. He worked without another word for a while, leaving Juno to groan and squirm under his hands, before he spoke again. “You are quite tense, I must say. Should I be concerned? Not to mention these scars…have you been taking care of yourself?”

Juno scoffed. “Yeah, of course I am. Just…got a lotta scars, is all.”

“Bashful, are we?”

“No.” Juno sighed “Does it bother you?”

“The scars? Heavens, no. I think they’re quite beautiful.” Peter’s fingertips traced over the scars very purposefully, as if drawing a map across Juno’s back. “Do they bother you? I know someone who could easily get rid of them for you.”

“What, you’re telling me that mister perfect like you has scars?”

“Well, not anymore. Believe it or not, thieving has quite a learning curve and my tutors weren’t always kind enough to show me how to do well on my own. It’s quite a simple procedure, leaves the skin as good as new.”

Juno thought on that for a while as Peter continued to work methodically across Juno’s body. Get rid of his scars? The thought appealed to him in a strange way, but also made him go stiff. A way to get rid of all his mistakes, all his problems, and all the bad memories of his past. It would erase them, eradicate them. Like they never happened.

“I don’t think I’d want that,” Juno muttered.

Peter hummed.

“I think I’ve gotten attached.”

“Well, I can say I’m a fan,” Peter said, as smooth as his oil slick hands. “They’re a map of you, each of them a story, whether good or bad. Told or untold. If I could afford to have scars, I would.”

“I’m sure it would cost a lot less to just keep them when you get them.”

“Scars make you noticeable. It leaves a memory. Like your darling nose. It left quite the impression on me for days after I first met you. The smoother my skin, the more people I can become.”

“You’re telling me you’ve got no scars? Anywhere?”

“I mean, you’re free to check.”

“Okay.” Juno slow sat himself up, and Peter pulled back, a sly smile on his face. “Lay down, let’s see.”

“Forceful, aren’t we?” Peter asked with a chuckle. “Are you sure you want to explore everywhere?”

“Well, how else am I going to be sure?”

* * *

“This wasn’t even cute the first time you did it,” Juno grumbled. Still, Peter had his hands securely over Juno’s eye as they walked, the dirt crunching beneath their feet. Peter didn’t even let him see their final destination, let alone look around once they got there. It was just endless walking while Peter made sure he didn’t trip.

“There’s another big rock here, love,” Peter supplied, and Juno stepped over it. This was ridiculous.

Juno had been on Mars long enough to know what the atmosphere felt like. The dry heat of the desert all around them, the air impossible to breathe outside of containers. Not to mention Juno could practically feel the radiation polluting his veins. It wasn’t a sly trick, but there was a pull on Peter’s voice, like this was the biggest surprise of them all.

“Now, Juno, there’s no need to pout,” Peter said. “This is the last day of our vacation together, after all.”

“And I can’t wait to sleep in my own damn bed.”

“Come now. We both know you spend more time sleeping in your office. Be grateful Rita bought you that couch so you wouldn’t sleep on the desk anymore.”

“The desk was fine.”

“Juno…”

Juno just shrugged. Peter led him forward a little bit further, until he gently guided Juno to a stop. A rough wind rushed past them and Juno couldn’t help but shiver. And then, Peter lifted his hands. Immediately, Juno was blinded by the neon mess in front of him, but he couldn’t look away. Underneath a dome, like a fishbowl, stood one of the most iconic cities in the galaxy.

“Hyperion City,” Peter supplied, resting his chin on Juno’s shoulder to look at it as well. “The absolute best skyline in the known universe.”

It was one hell of a skyline, Juno had to admit. He’d spent years inside that city, it had been decades before he actually got to see the skyline itself. It was breathtaking every time. It reminded Juno that, despite all the ugliness crawling around in there, Hyperion had something in it worth saving. It had families that hadn’t been fucked up yet, kids that just wanted to see another day, and everyday people just doing their best. And one hell of a skyline.

Neon floated through the night sky, emanating from it. It was an obnoxious clash of pink, orange, yellow, blue, all the colors you could imagine and even some you couldn’t. Mansions floated overhead as big as the moon, but absolutely nothing could compare to the streets, alleys, and gutters beneath it. Juno’s home, for better or worse, the place he refused to leave for good, even for the prettiest of thieves. Hyperion City was stunning, and the sun was just beginning to hit it over the horizon.

“Peter, I-” What did Juno have to say? He didn’t deserve a vacation like this, to get spoiled like Peter always did, and he certainly didn’t deserve Peter by his side after everything that had happened. After everything he’d done. It was too much, but Juno couldn’t say that. That was just spitting in the face of Peter himself, who despite everything still smiled at Juno like he was more beautiful than all the stars in the universe.

“Thank you,” Peter said with a low hum. “For letting me do this for you. I know how hard it is for you to let go. I’m very proud of you.”

Juno stiffened at that, but Peter didn’t take it any further. Knew better than to push more. Juno never thought he was worthy of that kind of validation, but Peter liked to push the envelope as far as he could, showering Juno with as much positivity as he could before Juno couldn’t take it. For once, Juno let it sit. Ruminate inside him for a little bit. What could it hurt, letting himself believe for a little bit that he was worthy of some kind of praise?

“Shouldn’t I be the one thanking you?” Juno asked.

Peter kissed Juno’s temple. “I’m more than welcome to it, if you want. I can think of quite a few ways you could thank me properly, once we get back to your apartment.”

“I’ve got quite a few of my own, Peter.”

Juno turned around, and before he could chicken out, he yanked Peter closer into a kiss. A kiss in a desert surrounded by nothing but a fucked-up city with a beautiful skyline. Just two idiots helplessly in love with each other despite everything pulling them apart. Despite all the odds that said it shouldn’t work out. Peter kissed back greedily, taking everything he could, and Juno wasn’t much better. They probably stayed out there way too long, soaking in radiation with barely the cover of a nearby car to protect them, and promises of a tomorrow that no one really had to keep.

Juno was more than okay with that.


End file.
